


Salted Caramel

by ComfyDreamer



Category: Happy Sugar Life (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Ending, Angst, F/F, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Happy Ending, I Tried, Spoilers, What-If, man i feel conflicted about this, too positive for this show?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2020-11-28 17:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20970530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComfyDreamer/pseuds/ComfyDreamer
Summary: What if Satou hadn't forgotten the wedding ring? What if Satou's love epiphany had occurred a little sooner? What if her and Shio's getaway to a new life had succeeded? What if the future of the cast wasn't nearly as bleak?Improbable? Definitely. Idealized? For sure. Undeserved? Maybe. Will any of those stop me from making this? Hell no!





	1. Facing the Present

**Author's Note:**

> WALL OF TEXT INBOUND
> 
> Recently finished Happy Sugar Life, and I can safely say that it was one of the best anime I've seen. Sure, it's messed up beyond all reason, but there were just so many psychological elements to analyze over the course of the show. Looking into the characters' broken psyches and clouded morality was something that enchanted me - and call me merciful, but rather than feeling disgusted/appalled with them, I just felt pity for all of them. Almost everyone just seemed like a victim in this show, even Satou (although I still don't endorse what she did).
> 
> The ending of the show had me pissed off and looking for closure, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a theoretical "perfect" one just to blow off some steam. Was a little conflicted about this one, since Satou...isn't exactly a saint, to say the very least. For all of her admittedly pure love towards Shio (whose young age raises a whole other slew of questions), she's still a psychopath and a murderer (rest in spaghetti Shoko), and whether or not she deserves a happy ending is a touchy subject in my books. However, at least after the point that Shio calls her out on her crap and demands to be an equal in their relationship, their "love" really did feel a lot more genuine. While I don't endorse all of the screwed-up things Satou did, I have to admit that I'm heavily biased towards "pure", non-sexual love, especially since both Satou and Shio seemed extremely happy with each other (as opposed to being one-sided as I initially expected) - and the "what could have been" montage as Satou has an epiphany and sacrifices herself really got me in the heart. Perhaps I really am too forgiving, or maybe I'm just idealizing/romanticizing everything too much. But regardless, I was hell-bent on making a "good end" for the show, as far-fetched as it was.
> 
> Happy Sugar Life was a story where I saw nobody in the right, and every one of the characters has a lot more going on behind the scenes than one would imagine. But since I wasn't in the mood to cook up an essay trying to justify the characters' morals and actions, I just decided to say "screw it" and write this because nobody can tell me what to do.

Satou Matsuzaka stared at the half-naked figure hunched over in the old wooden chair. The room was dark save for the faint light peeking from under the doorway, and the stench of rot pervaded every cubic centimeter of the place.

Previously, this room had been where she had kept the remains of the apartment's previous tenant - the first obstacle in her then-new life with Shio. She had dealt with the interference swiftly and brutally, before getting that perverted teacher of hers to dispose of the evidence for her. But now, the room had another inhabitant - the body of her best friend Shoko Hida, lifeless and caked with dried blood.

Satou remembered Shoko confronting her. The girl had poured her heart out, genuinely pleading with her to come to her senses. Shoko had wanted to rescue Satou from her own twisted mind...but alas, her pleas had come on deaf ears. Shio was Satou's world now...there was no way she would give her up. Not for anything.

The pink-haired girl stared into her former friend's empty eyes. Satou could read most people as if they were books, and Shoko was no different. But in her soul, she saw nothing but kindness and a desire to help. Contempt, disgust, fear…all eclipsed by her sheer compassion. She had been willing to forgive Satou for everything, if she had just accepted her offer to help. 

But as compassionate as Shoko was, Satou couldn't trust her. She couldn't risk letting her go with such incriminating evidence. That made her a threat. And if said good girl became a threat to her happy sugar life with her beloved, then…

She remembered it all. She had brutally murdered Shoko with her own two hands. She remembered burying the knife in her throat, the warm blood soaking into her clothing, the dying girl desperately struggling to stay alive. Looking back at the event, Satou didn't feel anything. She wasn't happy or sad, amused or terrified. Shoko had been an obstacle in her way, so she had dealt with her. Nothing more, nothing less.

Yet here she was, about to use her corpse to further her own goals.  _ It's for our love...so it's okay. _

With steady hands, she removed the wedding ring from her hand. Wrapping it in a cloth, she gently set it on the ground as if it would shatter should she fail to exercise absolute care. What she was about to do would likely be messy...she wouldn't dare sully the symbol of her eternal love for Shio.

Clutching the bag of clothes she had brought - her clothes - she started unraveling them and dressing up Shoko's body with them. When they set fire to the apartment and abandoned their pure castle, her body would be burned...and hopefully, the police would identify Satou Matsuzaka among the casualties.

This was the first step in their new life - erasing the past. For her and Shio's bright new future, she had to erase all traces of this disgusting past. Everything she had done...the crimes she had committed...it all had to be buried away.

In her mind, Satou was already erasing the memories of all her acquaintances, crossing out their faces with bitter blackness. Her colleagues...Taiyou...Sumire...even Daichi...good or bad, none of them mattered anymore. Yet...there was one that she couldn't bring to erase.

As she finished dressing up her victim, she involuntarily reached out and touched Shoko's face. Her fingers came away flaky, caked in the stains of the tears Shoko had shed in her last moments.

Satou's lower lip quivered.

_ Why? What am I feeling? _ Satou internally screamed.  _ Shoko didn't mean anything to me! And she threatened my life with Shio...my love...unforgivable! I had to eliminate her...it was in the name of love! If it's for love, all will be forgiven… _

Then why couldn't she shake this feeling of deep regret clawing at her heart? Perhaps it really was true...that people could only see things for their true value after they lose them.

Before anything else could happen, however, a high-pitched voice came from behind the closed door. "Satou-chan! Satou-chan!"

Instantly, the pink-haired girl brightened up. "Shio-chan! I'm coming!"

Before she left, however, she picked up her wedding ring, fitting it snugly onto her ring finger again.  _ I'm a disgrace...I nearly forgot about it…Shio, please forgive me... _

And with that, she left Shoko alone in complete darkness.

_ An hour later... _

Asahi panted as he ran. That damn Taiyou was a piece of work...but at least he had provided  _ some _ information on where to find his sister. As for him now...well he had no intention of helping him from whatever predicament he had clearly gotten himself into. He deserved it for trying to toy with him like that.

However, once the apartment had appeared in his sight line, he had instantly realized the worst had happened. The top floor was engulfed in fire!

The boy had grit his teeth.  _ This can't be a coincidence! Someone did this… _

He had finally found his dear sister, and she was now slipping out of his grasp again. He wouldn't accept it. If Shio slipped away from him this time...one more time...he'd snap for sure.

Fortune decided to favor him that day. As he approached the building, he ran straight into Shio - and along with her, that pink-haired Satou girl. Overcome by fury, he took them by surprise, catching Satou with a fierce blow from his baseball bat that had nearly incapacitated her right then and there - if he hadn't blindly lashed out in rage, he might have killed her outright.

"Satou-chan!" Shio screamed as she knelt over the bleeding girl. "Are you okay?"

Asahi's violet eyes stared down at them, their remorseless gaze almost tangible. "This is your fault, Satou Matsuzaka. Yours and yours alone. Shio...I'm here now. Let's go home."

The response had hit him with a nearly physical force. "I'm not going! I'm going to stay with Satou-chan!"

"W-What are you talking about?" Asahi stammered. "She stole you away! Kept you locked up in this apartment...away from your family! And she surely did something horrible to Shoko...her own friend! I haven't heard from her ever since she gave me that photo...I wouldn't be surprised if that monster murdered her!"

"I know! Satou-chan told me everything...but I don't care! If she's going to be punished, I'll gladly be her partner in crime!"

"...Huh? B-But...mom is waiting too!"

Shio's eyes shone with steely determination - more conviction that Asahi had seen her display in her entire life. "It's okay. I'm going to stay here with Satou-chan!"

Asahi felt as if the moon itself had shattered, and the pieces were now raining around him in a cataclysmic shower of broken emotions. Noticing Satou getting to her feet, he pulled on Shio's arm. "Shio, let's go!"

"W-Waah!" Shio cried. "No! Stop!"

"D-Don't hurt her!" Satou screamed desperately.

The scene stunned Asahi. Staring at his trembling hands, he felt... _ something  _ traumatic welling up within him. Had he... "No...I…"

"Get away from her!" Satou screamed again, tackling Asahi to the ground despite her injured state. Clutching her bleeding wound, she glared at Asahi with an unrivaled conviction - one that could withstand an apocalypse as long as her loved one was at her side. "I'm not going to let you take Shio-chan!"

"Shut up!" Asahi growled. "It's because of you...it's because of you...that's why Shio is-"

He was too consumed with righteous fury to say anything else. The hooded boy raised his bat and charged again - this time aiming for the head.

"Stop!" Shio cried as she stepped in front of Satou, raising her arms to take her brother's blow. "Don't hurt Satou-chan!"

Asahi stopped in his tracks. "You…"

"I don't care about my family!" Shio yelled at her brother. "I care about Satou-chan the most!"

As if the flame of his fervent, maddening dream had been suddenly doused, Asahi's will to fight instantly vanished at those words. "Shio...really? You...must be mad at mom. I heard everything from her...she abandoned you. It's unforgivable...but she didn't do it because she hated you! She realized it when she hit you...she was slowly becoming like that horrible demon of a man. That's why she wanted to be away from you! She was afraid of becoming someone who would hurt you!"

For a second, Shio's furious expression faltered. Noticing this, Asahi continued. "Mom came home the night she abandoned you. Put poison into her husband's alcohol...mom was the one who killed that devil! She's a criminal now...she sacrificed herself to protect us from him!"

Shio's eyes widened. "I...I…"

"I-I just wanted to tell you…" Asahi whispered, his eyes welling up with tears. "I can't blame her. Mom's a victim, just like us. Even if it was to kill that demon, mom still committed a crime...the police are probably going to arrest her. So please...just come with me. At least hold her hand in the end. It'd be too cruel if you didn't!"

Shio's expression became bitter. "Then what about when she said she didn't need me?"

"She said that you didn't need her anymore!" Asahi practically screamed. "She'd never say she doesn't need you!"

"...Big brother?"

Satou's eyes widened. "S-Shio...chan?"

Hope flickered over Asahi's face. "Shio…"

"Tell mom…" Shio sniffed through tears. "Thank her for me. Thank her for releasing me from an unhappy life. That's why I'm going to live for myself!"

Asahi took a step forward. "S-Shio?"

Picking up a glass shard from a phone booth that Asahi had shattered in the collateral, Shio raised it as a makeshift weapon. "D-Don't come any closer!"

Her grip on the shard was so tight that it was actually cutting into her hands, and blood was starting to drip onto the ground. At the sight, Asahi backed up in shock. "Why...why, Shio?"

"I choose Satou-chan!" Shio proclaimed. "I need Satou-chan…"

Those words completely broke Asahi's spirit. The task that he had so single-mindedly worked towards...the dream of a reunited family he had so desperately sought out...all cruelly dashed by the very one he had done all of this for. Defeated, Asahi dropped his bat and fell to his knees as tears ran freely down his cheeks. "No…"

With difficulty, Satou got to her feet. "Shio...thank you. Let's go to our new castle, together."

Shio took her hand. Together, they ran into the night - or at least, they ran as fast as Satou's injuries would permit her, but Satou was a sturdy girl. However, before they turned the corner, Shio said her last goodbyes to her brother.

"Big brother...I know you just want me to be happy." Shio cried out. "I'm sorry...but Satou-chan showed me happiness...she showed me love! I'm so, so happy with Satou-chan...so please, don't follow me. Live for yourself...just like me..."

And with that, they vanished.

_ ...The fires have been put out. The civilians had been evacuated - however, the remains of the previously-missing Shoko Hida had been found in the wreckage of apartment number 1208. After taking an attendance list, one Satou Matsuzaka was also found missing. With no family members outside of a mentally unstable aunt - who claimed to have been the one who started the fire and is now in custody - her whereabouts are unknown. If the recounts from the aunt are to be trusted, Satou Matsuzaka was likely killed in the fire, but her remains have yet to be found. A search has begun… _

Asahi remembered the news as he silently sat on the park bench. As he had expected, Satou had made her getaway - they had run away while he had been rendered catatonic by Shio's rejection. Taiyou had managed to escape - albeit with his sanity in tatters - which Asahi didn't really care about. But the moment he had seen Shoko among the casualties, he had broken down crying like a little boy. The one person he thought he'd had left after this...gone, probably murdered by that psychotic girl and left to burn.

It had been a day or so since she had finally found Shio, but everything had come crashing down. Out of all the things he had imagined happening, he never would have believed that Shio would reject her own family like that.

But was it really true? Did this mysterious Satou hold the key to Shio's happiness? Shio had been willing to defend Satou with her life...surely she must have treated his sister with at least some kind of care. But still...their family…

Asahi shook his head. Their mother had finally been arrested for her crimes, and Asahi had just visited her before she was locked up. It was a sad sight...in some remote corner of his heart, he wanted to berate Shio for not being there for her.

Perhaps he refused to see the truth. Shio could have very well been happier with them than with Satou. But at the same time, she had seemed adamant on her happiness with Satou. What was the real answer? Asahi had no idea. After all, Shio was gone now, leaving his efforts for naught. And that pissed him off.

However, he had talked with Yuuna before she had been taken into custody. Yuuna had screamed and cried, of course, but she had also said some things that had made him think. After the conversation, Asahi had realized that in his single-minded quest for Shio, he had been entirely focused on himself. It was  _ his _ sister,  _ his _ shining moon,  _ his  _ vision of an ideal family that had consumed his every waking moment. He hadn't considered how Shio would feel about all of this, nor how she felt about her family - he had assumed that this would be the same cute little sister from those bittersweet, bygone days. The idea that the Shio he had tried to rescue wasn't the Shio he wanted had never occurred to him, and her rejection had stunned him. But at the same time, he was a little grateful that she had matured so much.

His mind filled with conflicted emotions, Asahi stared into the sky. Perhaps his dream for a reunited family was a futile one. Shio had clearly rejected them, and as much as he hated to admit it, neither he nor Yuuna were in the condition to be raising a child like Shio - not to mention, the latter was in jail now. If he made his next priority Shio's happiness...she somehow seemed happy with Satou? In a way, it put his mind at ease - instead of going mad trying to find a solution, perhaps he could come to terms with his situation.

_ "Live for yourself...just like me…" _ Shio had said.

Asahi grit his teeth.  _ Satou Matsuzaka...you're a real psycho, and I'll probably never forgive you. But if you can make Shio happy...if you can keep Shio safe...then maybe... _

"Whoa, Satou-chan! That's the first time I've seen an airplane!"

Satou just smiled as Shio eagerly pressed her hands against the window, staring at all the metal goliaths roaming outside. There had been some slight hiccups...but they had prepared well, especially when it came to the passports that Sumire had given them. Now, all was set for them to board this plane and head off somewhere. Where was "somewhere"? It didn't matter where their new castle was - as long as she had Shio, it would be a paradise.

After witnessing Shio confront her brother, and witnessing her choose her over her family, Satou had been moved to tears. In that moment, Satou had felt on the verge of an epiphany. Love...the question "what is love" had eaten away at her very existence since the day her aunt had introduced her to it. When she had found Shio, she was sure that this sweet little girl was the embodiment of her ideal love. To protect her, she had lied, cheated, even  _ killed _ in the name of love...and even now, she didn't feel anything about it. She likely never would.

Yet now her definition of love had changed again. Before, her "love" for Shio had been simply getting gratification for her smiles and innocence, and doing everything in her power to protect her. Shio calling her out on it, and her demanding to be treated as a person rather than a symbol, had changed that. In that moment, Satou had realized that everything she had done had been for  _ her _ \- not Shio. Out of an all-consuming hunger for the feeling of love, rather than true goodwill for this child. She hadn't been protecting Shio, she had been protecting  _ her life _ with Shio. It had been selfish. And although she didn't know what love really was, she knew that it wasn't selfishness.

That moment had awakened something within her - and the moments following it were no longer filled with one-sided "love", like Shio had previously accused her of. It was...something incomprehensible, a fervent wish to see Shio healthy and happy. Not for her own satisfaction, but for the good of Shio Kobe. And rather than wanting to merely dote on Shio...Satou genuinely wanted to live happily ever after with Shio beside her, standing together as equals.

The new feelings had baffled her - and they had reached a fever pitch during their confrontation with Asahi. Satou had never felt so protective of Shio until that moment - when Asahi had grabbed her, Satou's first instinct hadn't been to seize her again. It had been to make sure that Shio wasn't hurt. And to see Shio defend their life together like that...perhaps  _ that _ was love. A mutual dedication to each other, unfazed by the hottest of fires or the fiercest of storms. Romantic? Maternal? Both? She wasn't so sure herself, but she somehow knew that she had finally found what she had been looking for.

As they boarded the plane, Satou involuntarily found herself thinking of the past she had so vehemently tried to erase. And before she knew it, she asked Shio a question that she thought never existed in her heart.

"Shio-chan?"

Shio, who was looking out the window, turned around. "What is it?"

"...Be honest. Are you really happy living with me?"

The young girl faltered. Then, she smiled - in that overwhelmingly innocent way that Satou loved, the one that exposed that adorable little fang of hers. "Of course! Satou-chan is the one I love, after all!"

Normally, this would be enough to placate her, but Satou frowned. "Even though your family exists?"

For a second, Shio hesitated. "My family...I never told you about this, but they...well, I think I'd be way happier with you, Satou-chan."

"Is that your final answer?"

"Yes! I-Is this some kind of quiz game, Satou-chan?"

However, Satou just embraced her, tears coming to her eyes. "That's all I need. Your genuine, honest feelings. Thank you, Shio-chan."

Shio was confused, but returned the gesture in kind.

As the plane took off, Shio tensed and grabbed Satou's hand for security. Satou returned the gesture to comfort her, only for Shio's fear to turn into excitement as she saw them rising above the nighttime cityscape. "Satou-chan! It's so pretty!" 

_ It's like the ground has become a second sky, _ Satou internally remarked. To fly like a bird...perhaps this was something that both of them had secretly wished for. Yet as beautiful as it was, Satou couldn't wait for it to end - for the plane to land and open a new chapter in their lives.  _ Onwards to the future, Shio-chan. From now on, we don't need a castle. We don't need anything else... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even in a happy ending fix-fic, poor Asahi still gets the short end of the stick. Sorry, man.


	2. Embracing the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically an extended version of the "what could have been" montage of Episode 12, with a few additions of my own. Coming up with events for every still image in that ending montage was...slightly problematic.

"Satou-chaaaan!" Shio whined. "I'm tired…"

"I told you to sleep on the plane ride...but you stayed up watching movies..." Satou murmured, yawning despite herself. As tired as she was, she was also elated.

"Oh!" Shio suddenly chirped, pressing her face to a window. "Look! It's all different!"

Satou looked out the window and smiled. Indeed, it was quite a change from their old home. Rolling hills and lush nature dominated their view in place of car-filled roads and towering buildings. Already, she felt like she liked this kind of setting more than city life, despite there still being a small city nearby. Here, they could live a quiet life, free of the hustle of the city...and hopefully at least a bit sheltered from all the ills of the world.

"Satou-chan, are we really going to live here?" Shio asked. "Well, it's super pretty! I'm looking forward to it!"

"...So am I, Shio-chan. So am I."

_ A few days later… _

"Look, Satou-chan!" Shio yelled. "This is our new home!"

Panting, Satou smiled as she looked up at her. Since when did Shio have so much energy? The second that they had seen the small log cabin, Shio had taken off like a bullet, leaving Satou to drag all of their luggage there.

However, she had to admit that it was quite the cozy-looking home. She had done some research before they had fled their home, and this one had fit the bill perfectly. Cheap, small, cozy, relatively isolated, and surrounded by beautiful nature, yet still close enough to the city for convenience. Here, they could spend most of their time in blissful solitude, keeping each other company and exploring the empty countryside together.

As Satou dragged their luggage up the stairs, Shio flung open the door. "Wow! This place looks really comfy!"

The lodge's interior wasn't anything to write home about. It was mostly empty, and all of its structural supports were clearly visible. Its features of note were an unlit fireplace, one large bed, some hanging lights, maybe a table or two, and windows overlooking the countryside. Yet it somehow already felt like home - Satou could already imagine her and Shio sitting beside each other, warmed by the crackling fireplace while gazing at the snow-capped mountains and pristine rivers flowing through the rolling hills.

"What are you waiting for, Satou-chan?" Shio called. "Let's make ourselves at home!"

Satou nodded and started unpacking, all while practically beaming. This was their new castle of love...and hopefully, she could learn from the last one.

Soon, they had unpacked everything and settled down. The cabin was still fairly empty, but they could probably try to get some furniture at some point. However, that wasn't a priority at the moment - in this moment, both of them were almost overflowing with happiness. Recalling some notes she had taken on the area, Satou looked at Shio. "Shio-chan, do you want to go for a walk? There's something I want to see around here."

Shio laughed. "Sure!"

Taking Shio's hand, Satou led her out of the house, the two of them sauntering down the dirt path and through the verdant fields. Stepping over the stream beside the lodge, they took off running in the direction that Satou pointed in. They ran nonstop through the picturesque scenery until they arrived at the place that Satou was referring to.

"Look!" Satou exclaimed cheerfully. "I heard that there was a flower field nearby, and I wanted to check it out. All of these flowers as far as the eye can see...we'd never see something like this back where we came from!"

Indeed, the hills before them were completely covered with delicate, pure-white flowers that gave off a fragrant smell. They smelled like...well, Satou couldn't describe them very well. Kind of like fresh alpine air, with a hint of sweetness.

Looking beside her, she awaited Shio's reaction...and was shocked when she collapsed to her knees. "Shio-chan? What's wrong?"

She was cut off when Shio started crying. "They're beautiful…" she wept. "So, so beautiful…"

"...Shio-chan?"

Satou didn't know why Shio was so distraught, but Shio just curled up and wept. A bitter memory had resurfaced in her mind - one of venturing out to give someone she loved one of these very flowers, only to be angrily rejected. Gingerly picking one of the flowers, she presented it to Satou with dead eyes. "Satou-chan...look at this…"

Satou was confused. "Y-Yes, Shio-chan. It's a very pretty flower."

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Shio muttered. "You like it..."

As Shio kept crying, Satou just wrapped her arms around her and hugged tightly. However, Shio soon recovered - and was back to her smiling self. "I'm sorry...I know you wanted this to be happy."

"Oh, it's okay, Shio-chan. Besides, why can't it still be happy now?"

Shio just smiled. Hand in hand, the two girls romped through the fields, picking the flowers and gathering them in one massive bouquet. Before long, however, their contents of their bouquet were scattered on the ground, as they laid down amongst the flowers, smiling like there was no tomorrow.

_ Some time later... _

"It's our second anniversary, Shio-chan!"

Satou and Shio laughed over the small wooden table, the fireplace crackling behind them. Their home was a modest one, but Satou had still insisted on holding a celebration for this day - the day that she had met Shio on the street, and their happy sugar life had begun.

Their "party" consisted of a tablecloth laid over the table they had at home, along with a cake and some assorted refreshments. It wasn't much, but for them, it was still an event to be remembered. After Satou had gotten a new job at the city, she had been purposely saving her pay to fund this event.

"What's that, Satou-chan?" Shio asked, pointing at the large bottle on the table. "Satou-chan...you know we can't drink yet! Are you doing something bad?"

"Ah, this is just sparkling apple juice!" Satou explained. "No need to worry!"

Shio laughed. "That's funny, Satou-chan!"

Together, they took the bottle and inspected it. As Shio's fingers awkwardly gripped at the stopper, Satou frowned. "I've never had one of these before. I just bought it because it looked fancy and was on sale."

"Oh, I think I got it!" Shio exclaimed, feeling the stopper come loose as she roughly yanked on it. "It's coming out! It's-"

With a deafening pop, the stopper violently came loose and shot across the room, while a pressurized burst of foam spewed from the bottle's opening. At this, Shio screamed and panicked, the bottle slipping from her grasp. While Satou had flinched as well, she had retained enough sense to grab at the bottle before it could shatter on the floorboards. Yelping, the pink-haired girl haphazardly juggled the slippery bottle for a good five seconds, before finally grabbing it in a steady grip.

A residual, pressurized hiss filled the air as the girls looked at each other. Then, they burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all.

As Satou filled two small glasses with the juice, Shio picked up a knife and cut the cake, placing a slice onto Satou's plate before doing the same to hers. Satou hesitantly placed the bottle on the table before taking her glass and holding it up. At this, Shio did the same, and they touched glasses with a gentle clink.

Satou beamed at Shio. "To a happy and healthy life together."

Shio laughed. "To a happy and healthy life together!"

After their toast, they dug into the cake. It was as sweet as ever.

_ Two years after the incident… _

Satou was curled up in her chair, sobbing. "I...I'm so sorry!"

Seated beside her, a teary-eyed Shio tentatively reached out to her, as if to grab all of those sorrows and yank them right out of her heart. Across from them, a bespectacled man with greying hair gazed at them sympathetically, a notebook in his hands.

The duo had been living an idyllic life for the past two years or so. Satou was back at work, and although it had taken some effort, she had gotten Shio into school as well. During their free time, they had simply enjoyed each other's company, eagerly recounting their days and occasionally going out on scenic walks.

Yet no matter how they tried to bury the past, it kept creeping up on them regardless. Ever since they had escaped to their new life, Satou's unstable side had never showed itself again - but that didn't mean it had vanished. Even with her new views on love, she would still sometimes feel fragments of obsession invading her mind. In her daydreams, whenever she thought of anything that could possibly threaten their new life together...well, Satou would start to feel that familiar bitter taste in her mouth, and she would become filled with a maddening desperation to remove the threat from their lives. _ No cost would be too great. No deed would be too dark. For love...for love... _

The situation was similar for Shio. Despite her happiness, the trauma of her youth had firmly ingrained itself into her psyche. The dizzy spells were far more infrequent, but they still happened - and Satou would do her best to comfort her during those times. Sometimes, as she slept, she would see flashes of her past life - Asahi, Yuuna, even her father - and she would silently weep as she recalled only misery.

The two of them had changed for the better, but that darkness still lingered inside of them. And they knew about each other's issues - Shio was aware of Satou's mental state, and what she had done, while Shio had also told Satou about her past. So, at Shio's behest, the two of them had sought out a therapist - something unfamiliar to them, considering that seemingly none existed back where they had lived. The man they had found was kindly and understanding, yet he forced the two of them to be totally open and to face their pasts - with a wide range of results. Today, it was Satou's turn to experience some particularly negative feedback, as she felt something she had never felt before - guilt. And with that guilt came sudden remorse for all of the things she had done over her life - all of the things that she had previously felt nothing for. Shio was troubled, but she was still mostly innocent - she had done nothing wrong. On the other hand, Satou had done many, many things that were very wrong.

"It's okay, Satou-chan." Shio whispered to the crying girl. "Whatever you're fighting, I'll fight it with you. Remember how you did the same for me last session?"

"I've done so much " Satou cried. "I've lied, stolen, cheated! I was so curious as to what love was...I said that everything I did was all for love! I took a child from their family just to satisfy this curiosity...did horrible things...and Shoko...poor, poor Shoko…"

Shio recalled the strange girl that had walked into their apartment, only to vanish minutes later. "Satou-chan…"

"...Dead! Dead, because I killed her!" Satou went on. "She was my best friend...someone who only showed me kindness throughout all our days together! And even in the end, she just wanted to help me. And what did I do? I murdered her - my own friend! And then...her body...oh, god!"

Satou couldn't say anything else. She completely broke down, sobbing into Shio's lap. Hesitantly, Shio placed a hand on her head. She never would have imagined the Satou of the past admitting to all of these things so tearfully, or feeling bad for all of these things. Something had definitely changed in her during their escape - or had this change happened over the course of the last few years?

Yet even though she knew everything she'd done, she would always forgive Satou. Sometimes, she would ask herself why she loved Satou, whether her love was conditioned - and she would immediately give herself an answer. Satou had picked her up in her time of need, taken care of her, shown her love and kindness when she had been wanting. And even if she _ had _kept her "trapped" in her home...well, Shio feared what would have happened if she had been returned to her true home. Shio was grateful to her, and she genuinely loved her.

As Satou cried, Shio tried her best to comfort her - just as Satou had comforted her last week, when Shio had broken down screaming and crying after talking about her old life. Satou had evidently been hiding a lot of mental issues for a long time - even more than she did. It might take a while to deal with them, but Shio had confidence. Now that her morality - her humanity - had been forcefully drawn out, Satou desperately sought repentance. Shio would help her every step of the way - until eventually, even if others couldn't forgive her, Satou could forgive herself.

Satou looked up at her with teary eyes, repeating the phrase she had once repeated incessantly. "It's bitter...so bitter…everything..."

"I know." Shio muttered. "But life isn't all sugar. You need to face down all the bitter things if you want to live - but I'll face them with you, I promise."

_ Ten years after the incident... _

It had taken some time, but after fully opening their hearts, Satou and Shio overcame the darkness within themselves. After many therapy sessions and a lot of shed tears, both of them had stabilized their psyches and were freed to live life to the fullest.

Satou had embraced her new definition of love, and tried to fill her heart with more things as to not become so obsessed over the emotion. As for her past, she had come to terms with it - she would never forget what she had done, but if she couldn't change it, she could at least move on and vow to never repeat it. Similarly, Shio had risen above all of those memories she had once tried to suppress. What had happened, happened - and if anything, those events were responsible for her meeting Satou.

After this, they continued living their picturesque life together. Satou had graduated from high school and gotten a degree at the local university, while Shio was on the verge of finishing high school with flying colors. To celebrate Shio's graduation, the two of them had decided to take some time off in a city neighboring the one they normally spent time at. Satou had asked Shio if she had wanted to go somewhere a bit farther, but Shio had vehemently insisted that this would do.

So, on the day after Shio's graduation, they packed their bags and drove off. Both of them could drive, and they had bought a cheap car to share for now, but Satou drove to spare the more inexperienced Shio the woes of driving the car for two hours straight. Shio had been too excited to sleep the night before, but she still insisted at marvelling at all of the scenery rather than napping. Even as a young lady, Shio's youthful charm still persisted.

In due time, they had arrived at the city. It was just as the pictures had depicted it - strikingly European, bustling with life, and radiating with rustic charm. When Satou had parked the car at the hotel they had booked, Shio had to stop her from collapsing in a tired heap the second she got out. Satou was strong enough to get herself onto her feet again, but she was still fatigued to the point where Shio had to lug all their luggage to the reception desk by herself.

The moment they had gotten to their hotel room, Satou had instantly crashed on one of the beds. They were supposed to start seeing the city attractions today, but Satou was evidently not in the best condition to do so. Shio resolved to postpone it a day, draping a blanket over Satou before unpacking their luggage.

By the time Satou woke up, it was already almost eight at night. Shio had taken out her laptop and played online video games for the entire afternoon - free hotel Wi-Fi was definitely a gift from God. Once she had realized that Satou was awake, however, she immediately stopped and asked her where she wanted to eat. Truth be told, neither of them were in a mood to make any choices regarding the matter, so they just bought some food from the lobby, ate quickly, showered, and crashed for the night.

_ The next day… _

Shio beamed from ear to ear as she leaned out of the streetcar door, savoring the feeling of the cool wind blowing in her face. It wasn't as fresh as the winds back at their home, but it carried another sort of wonder to it - the scents of aromatic flowers, tantalizing food, and all the other aromas the bustling city had to offer.

Satou leaned out behind her, her longer pink hair practically billowing in the wind. She was just as happy as Shio was, although she was less in the moment and more giddy for what they had planned for today.

"Hey, you two!" the driver called. "Please refrain from leaning out of the car while it's in motion!"

Disappointed, the two of them complied and sat down again.

Fortunately, their destination wasn't too far away. The plan was to walk through a forested path and then have some fun at the beach. Then, they would climb a small mountain and set up camp among the stars.

The second that the streetcar had arrived at the trail entrance, the two of them had practically leapt out of the car and dashed towards the trail. Only once they had "accidentally" run a kilometer or two did they slow down, panting as they realized how much energy they had recklessly spent.

From then on, the two of them took their journey at a more leisurely pace. While they had brought a bunch of spare clothes, both of them were currently dressed in pure-white sundresses, straw hats, and sandals, the only difference in their attires being the color of the ribbons in their hats - red for Satou, blue for Shio.

Within a few minutes' time, both of them arrived at the beach - a boundless, pure sea stretching out from a shimmering quartz shore. Surprisingly, neither Satou nor Shio had ever been to the beach - they had only gotten the idea after Satou had read about it in a pamphlet. Eager to try out this new experience, they had quickly changed into swimsuits and ran to the beach - running after each other, playfully splashing each other and altogether reveling in the moment.

Their beachside fun lasted for about an hour and a half, upon which they changed back into normal clothes, sat down on the shore, and had a picnic lunch. Shio had made a wide variety of delicious sandwiches from the ingredients they had bought in the morning - she was now so capable that Satou could barely recognize her as the helpless child from all those years ago. Forget Satou taking care of Shio - at this rate, it might be the other way around.

After lunch, they packed up, put on some more insulating clothing, and began their ascent to the mountaintop. It wasn't a very tall mountain, but it was by no means an easy trek. Hungrily breathing in the thinning air, Satou and Shio mindlessly hiked up the steep paths, completely ignoring the growing fatigue in their limbs. 

By the time they had made it to the top, it was already dusk. Both of them were totally exhausted - but from their vantage point, they were greeted with a brilliant view of the waning sunset receding beneath the neighboring mountains, its fading light tinging the clouds below them with streaks of fire. Only then did they remember to smile in jubilation.

The two of them set up camp and made dinner - a simple meal of cup noodles, but good nonetheless. By the time they were done, it was already nighttime, and the pair decided to hit the sack - but not before stargazing a bit.

As she laid in her sleeping bag, an unwelcome question started gnawing at Satou's mind. It was something she knew that eventually would have to answer, but it was also something she wished she could just leave behind.

"Shio-chan?"

"Mhm? What is it?"

Satou stared idly at the tent ceiling. "Even if you've forgiven me...I've done a lot of terrible things in the past, and gotten away with all of it. When will it come time for me to atone for them?"

Shio tilted her head. "What do you mean by that?"

"I want to come clean eventually. Return to our old home, admit to everything, serve whatever punishment is deemed appropriate. Several cases of assault, the murder of Shoko...I definitely deserve prison, but I don't know how long. But if I do this...then our life together will be over, at least for a while."

Shio was quiet. "I'm proud that you're willing to do that. The Satou-chan from all those years ago would have never accepted punishment for her actions. But yeah...I want to keep living together, too. Maybe just wait a little longer, spend some more time together...and then we can clean your conscience once and for all."

Satou turned over. "A little longer, huh…sure. It doesn't feel too right...but suppose that can be done, right?"

Shio nodded. "Please...just a little longer. Surely God would allow that?"

The pink-haired woman fell silent, and then simply nodded.

_ Fifteen years after the incident... _

"...Never imagined I'd see _ you _ again."

Asahi Kobe, dressed in semi-formal clothes, was seated in front of the hiring manager of the company he was applying for. Said hiring manager was a familiar face - neatly combed blond hair framing a handsome, youthful visage. Dressed in a suit and tie, Taiyou Mitsuboshi smiled back at Asahi. "Same goes for me. Before anything, though, would you prefer for me to get your interview finished?"

"Please do, Mr. Mitsuboshi."

Ever since that fateful day, Asahi had worked hard to make a life for himself and integrate into society. Over time, he had erased - or at least suppressed - his pathological hatred for all adults, replacing it with a vow to never become those whom he scorned. If he couldn't change the world, he could at least change himself.

The interview proceeded as usual, and Asahi's hard work paid off. He had already worked several smaller jobs for experience, and his personality had been tempered by society. Overall, he seemed to be one more than ready for the office, and Taiyou hired him on the spot.

After they shook hands, they sat back down. Asahi laced his fingers and leaned forward. "So, about back then…"

"Yeah…" Taiyou muttered, his smile slowly fading. "It was like a nightmare. After that woman defiled me, my mind had been filled with fear. Will it happen again? Will I ever be able to cleanse my dirtied soul? That was what I kept asking myself as those fearful memories clawed at me. Then I found your sister's missing poster..."

"...And you believed that Shio's innocence could purify your soul, right?" Asahi finished for him. "I recall you mentioning something like that."

"I was obsessed." Taiyou admitted. "It consumed me from the inside out, eating away at my mind like a disease. Before I knew it, I was being controlled by my desire for her, even though I knew it was wrong. And then, I got involved with Satou's scheming…"

"...I admit, I hated you back then." Asahi said bluntly.

"I know. You had every reason to."

"...But you're not really that bad of a guy." Asahi finished. "Trust me, I know what it's like to live with trauma. It took me a long time to get over mine...and from the looks of it, you seem to have gotten over yours."

"After getting defiled a second time, and seeing Shio going missing, I...well, I lost it." Taiyou said, his gaze becoming misty and distant. "But my mom got suspicious and broke into my room. She knew something was up, and had me spill the beans. Fortunately, she didn't get too mad. After she realized what had happened, she called in a therapist...they don't seem to be too common in this city, but she apparently has a lot of connections. We talked a bunch, and bit by bit, I managed to face myself. It took a few years, but I was able to stabilize myself enough to come back swinging. And look where that got me."

"Hiring manager at a high-end office job." Asahi said, smiling. "A pretty good improvement, if I say so myself."

"It's not perfect, of course." Taiyou sighed. "Sometimes, I still get scared. But I think I've let go of the past, for the most part."

"I decided to let go as well." Asahi admitted. "I let Shio go...I realized that at the time, she honestly might have been happier with that girl than with us, as much of a nutter Satou was. Now that mom is out of jail, I try my best to live with her and make her happy. So far, I think it's working. Her mind is a lot healthier than it was all those years ago."

Asahi was afraid that the mention of Shio's disappearance might hit a switch in Taiyou's mind, but he just smiled. "I suppose we can keep talking about this later. Would you care to head to a cafe later today?"

"Sure thing."

Taiyou stood up. With a bright smile, he extended his hand.

"Welcome to the team, Asahi Kobe."

"...Thank you."

_ Meanwhile, in a faraway place… _

Satou and Shio stood in a dimly-lit chapel, each on one side of an altar. There was nobody else in the room except for an elderly priest holding a large book. "Your vows, please."

Both of them nodded and stared into each others' eyes - although the shorter Shio admittedly needed to stand on a small box to meet Satou's gaze. They had gone through mock marriages countless times over the course of their time together, but they had finally decided that it was time for the real deal - arranging for it to occur in a quiet ceremony at both of their behests. Now, their hearts would truly become one, bound to each other by ribbons of love.

They had gone a long way and changed a lot since the dark days of the past. And even to this day, neither of them knew what the true definition of love was. Perhaps it was something that didn't really exist. But at that moment, neither of them really cared. From the moment that they had restarted their lives here, their feelings had moved away from wanton grasping at the concept of love - it had felt genuine. Joy, despair, all of the subtle nuances of life - they had shared them all, and they had become truly devoted to each other, circumstances of their original meeting be damned.

And so, both of them simultaneously recited those familiar lines that they knew by heart, except that they felt as if they only now truly understood their magnitude.

_ "In sickness and in health, _

_ Through happiness and sadness, _

_ For richer, for poorer, _

_ Until death do us part..." _

_ Twenty years after the incident… _

Satou stared at the gravestone as rain pattered gently on the hood of her jacket, her mind numbed by the sudden resurgence of emotion. The name carved into the simple slab of stone burned into her vision, every letter a needle piercing her heart.

_ Shoko Hida. _

The last time she was here, she had been a remorseless...thing willing to do anything in the search of love. But now, years of sentiment and happiness had made Satou sensitive - her heart was now just as vulnerable as everyone else's. As vulnerable as Shoko had been when she had desperately tried to talk Satou out of her actions.

Kneeling before the gravestone, Satou placed the small bundle of flowers on Shoko's grave. Then, she gently touched the headstone, silently asking her former friend for forgiveness that she likely didn't deserve.

Standing over her, Shio maintained a silent vigil. She didn't know Shoko personally, but she had evidently been special to Satou before her sudden change. Satou had been vehement on the fact that she didn't love anyone besides Shio...but looking back at it, Shio could see that she just hadn't been in the right mental condition to realize it.

As Satou took her hand off the gravestone, a second pair of hands placed a single rose beside her own flowers. "Another friend of Shoko's, huh? It's been so many years...but I still find myself here time and time again."

Satou looked up at the voice, only to stiffen a second later. The face staring back at her was far older than she remembered, but it was still unmistakable. Purple hair, tired purple eyes...

_ ...Asahi?! _

Asahi was just as stunned. He had seen this girl only once in his life, and that was when he had been trying to kill her. But that pink hair...those red eyes...this was Satou Matsuzaka, the one who had stolen his sister.

Satou should have felt fear, but Asahi seemed to be oddly at ease. He had clearly changed a lot since they had last met, seemingly for the better. Asahi should have felt anger, but there was something very different about Satou. She seemed wiser, tired, devoid of both deathlike emptiness and crazed fervor.

For a bit, neither of them could bring themselves to say anything. Then Satou stood up shakily. "It's...been a while."

"I never thought I'd see the likes of you here again." Asahi muttered quietly. "Why are you here? You escaped, didn't you? Vanished to a distant land with Shio, never to be seen again. Why do you return?"

The small figure beside Satou spoke up. "Satou-chan is here because she wants redemption. After she pays her respects to Shoko, she's going to the police station to confess everything she's done. There'll definitely be a case...and she'll probably get incarcerated. But I'll stay by her side, all the way."

Asahi started. "That voice…Shio? It can't be..."

The figure took off their hood to reveal a familiar face, her short navy hair tied into the same pigtails as twenty years ago. "Big brother, it's really me."

Asahi was stunned. "Shio? I can't believe it! You actually came back...but I thought you wouldn't want to see me again…"

"Oh...that's not what I meant." Shio said guiltily. "Sorry if I sounded blunt back then. But I've felt true happiness over the last twenty years...I'm sorry, but I have no regrets about leaving back then."

Shio was afraid Asahi would get mad, but he just raised an eyebrow. "Really now? True happiness, you say. How did Satou treat you?"

In response, Shio raised her hand, showing her brother her wedding ring. "Oh, me and Satou-chan got married five years ago!"

"W-What?" Asahi gasped. "That's a bit too much escalation! Please, tell me about it in detail."

So, the three of them sat down on the nearest bench and started talking. Asahi told them about how he had turned his life around, while Satou and Shio told Asahi about everything that had happened - their escape, Satou's sudden epiphany, their new home, their new life, facing their past selves together, and their eventual marriage. All the time, Asahi listened in awe. What kind of miraculous metamorphosis had these two undergone while they were gone? Satou was no longer a crazed psychopath, and felt genuine remorse for what she had done? Shio was genuinely happy and now arguably more capable than Satou?

"This is...a lot to take in." Asahi admitted as they finished. "Well, I'm glad that my sister has found true happiness...as much as I hate to admit it, you probably would have been far happier with Satou than with us. And Satou...despite everything, I have to thank you for treating Shio so well."

Satou just lowered her head at this. "I don't expect you to forgive me."

Asahi was silent. Then, he just moved on. "Well, if you're here to atone for your crimes, then I suppose that's already good enough. But Shio...now that you're back, I have a request to make. Please...come home, even for a bit. Mom is out of jail now, since they looked into the case a bit more and ruled her partially innocent. She's been hoping every day that you'll come back - and now, her wish has come true. Shio, please. You might not have seen it when you were younger, but she really loves you, I promise."

Shio tilted her head. "Really? She really wanted me to come back?"

Asahi nodded.

"...Well, sure then. I guess a reunion is long overdue."

Asahi breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you so much! I'm sure she'll be glad to see how much you've grown, both physically and mentally...well, more mentally…"

"Hey!" Shio said indignantly, standing on her tiptoes. Secretly, though, she was glad that Asahi had loosened up enough to make jokes. She supposed that was one of the effects of _ not _ living in a horrifically abusive household.

Her brother snickered and went on. "...But regardless, she'll be so proud of you. And you have to introduce your wife to her, too!"

Satou stiffened up again. "U-Um...are you sure she'll want to see me?"

Asahi smiled. "Hey, you made Shio so happy. That's probably reason enough."

Shio took Satou by the hand. "He's right! I'm sure that she won't mind, Satou-chan! Besides, I _ do _ have to introduce you to her!"

Satou was a little shaky, but smiled and accepted the comforting reply. Together, they set off towards the Kobe household, ready to meet Yuuna for the first time in decades - or in Satou's case, for the first time ever.

Satou knew that after this, she would confess her crimes and face her punishment. She hoped she'd be released soon enough to resume her life with Shio quickly, but she was open to the possibility that it wouldn't be possible. Yet she didn't really care, somehow. She had already spent so many happy years discovering what true love was like with Shio, that if it meant clearing her conscience a bit, she didn't mind losing her for a while.

_ I had finally found it. I thought I had found it many times, but now I know for sure. _

_ In sickness and in health, through happiness and sadness, for richer, for poorer… _

_ I found a true Happy Sugar Life. And while it might not last forever, that's okay. _

_ ...I'm honored to have lived it at all. _

And beside her, Shio thought the same thing as they walked towards their future.


End file.
